Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

31" tires vs 33" tires

42K views 29 replies 19 participants last post by  sparky 
#1 ·
I'm new to having a jeep (2006 TJ X) and I'm currently running 31x10.5 on what I think is stock rims. I love the way the 33x 12.50 tires look. I do mostly street/ highway driving and My tires need to be replaced soon. I was wondering what is the difference ( other then $) between the 2? Handling, gas mileage ect.,
I know a lift would be needed.
Also, if I get a lift for the 33" tires, can I keep the 31" tires. $ is tight?
 
#2 ·
Besides lift, you will need to regear to run 33s. Look at the rear diff, there should be a tag that states what gear ratio you have. You probably have either 3.07 or 3.73s for your X model, which will make it untolerable to drive with 33s. Ideally, you need to regear to 4.56 or 4.88s to gain back the performance.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Wattapunk is right...hate to say it.....but yeah you can't EFFECTIVELY run 33"s without more MODS than what you are looking at...yes it can be done as cheap as $1500 with a budget boost no regear and cheap tires and wheels.....but it won't be as GOOD as doing it right.
Just speaking from my experience...OME SL $1200 installed, BL and MML another $250, regear, SYE, and LCAs was about another $1800...tires and wheels $1500. Maybe I paid "too much", but it rode better than stock and went everywhere I wanted to and was rarely stuck.

Pic for clarification...The JK in my avatar is current Modding toy
 

Attachments

#12 ·
Wattapunk is right...hate to say it.....but yeah you can't EFFECTIVELY run 33"s without more MODS than what you are looking at...yes it can be done as cheap as $1500 with a budget boost no regear and cheap tires and wheels.....but it won't be as GOOD as doing it right. Just speaking from my experience...OME SL $1200 installed, BL and MML another $250, regear, SYE, and LCAs was about another $1800...tires and wheels $1500. Maybe I paid "too much", but it rode better than stock and went everywhere I wanted to and was rarely stuck. Pic for clarification...The JK in my avatar is current Modding toy
What fender are running there? Looks good. Does it cover the whole tire width?
 
#4 ·
I just spent a little over 11k using high quality components to do the necessary modifications to run 33" tires on 17" wheels (285/70R x 17). Parts cost without labor was a little over 8k.
 

Attachments

#6 ·
I know it is too late for OP, but for those that haven't yet purchased a jeep and might run across this thread, consider buying a rubicon model --- they have higher gear ratios standard in the axle. (Higher is right, right? Always forget how that works. The high number for the gear ratio.)

That's what i did. Not saying it was right but just one of several ways to get in to the jeep world and then run bigger tires with lifts, etc..
 
#11 ·
That was just the OME Sl...which they say is a 2"-2.5" lift....My springs and shocks were worn enough that I gained almost 3.25"s. Again before I went to the 33"s and different wheels I did the BL and MML..it was a "have to", even with the OME SL, IMO to clear the 33"s off road!!
 
#14 ·
They do cover the whole tire, and keep the Jeep pretty clean when off road. They are TnT customs......they replace EVERYTHING as far as fenders go. No cutting, just take off the factory fenders (inner and outer), and 6 bolts to mount these...than mount/ relocate everything attached to the fenders. (that was the worst part)
Rock solid...hit trees with them hard enough bark/ and dead branches fell into the Jeep with me. No damage to the fender....lol

This might give an idea of coverage............you guys making me miss that old TJ.......
 

Attachments

#26 ·
They do cover the whole tire, and keep the Jeep pretty clean when off road. They are TnT customs......they replace EVERYTHING as far as fenders go. No cutting, just take off the factory fenders (inner and outer), and 6 bolts to mount these...than mount/ relocate everything attached to the fenders. (that was the worst part) Rock solid...hit trees with them hard enough bark/ and dead branches fell into the Jeep with me. No damage to the fender....lol This might give an idea of coverage............you guys making me miss that old TJ.......
Yo. Love those rock sliders. Where can I find some like those?
 
#15 ·
I've been running 33's with a 2" BB and 3.07 gears for almost a year with no issues. Use of 6th gear is dependent on the wind and grade, but not a big deal. It's pretty flat in IL and I get between 14-17mpg. It does fine offroad (no rock crawling). Proper bump stopping keeps it from rubbing and it flexes okay. Is it ideal, no, but works fine for me so far. I will re-gear eventually.
 
#17 ·
You could do the Zone 4.25" Combo for around $750 (including $180 Metalcloak adjustable track bar) and install it yourself. That will save you money AND you get to learn about your Jeep. Then you can throw on the 33's (you will need new wheels if they are, in fact, stock rims)

The caveat is if you go to the bigger tires, you might find the power lacking and you'll need to regear(anywhere from 1k-1800 depending on area/shop). You will need to be prepared to either deal with the lack of power or pay the extra money at some point.

You can certainly go the other routes and spend more money for better quality components, but you can do it on a smaller budget if you so desire. It won't be as nice, but it will work for your given situation.
 
#18 ·
Might be worth spending some time looking at 32's. I have 4:11's and didn't notice much if any power loss jumping up from 245's to 265's. It also corrected my speedometer for whatever reason.

Cost me about 3500 to get there doing all the work myself. Tires and adjustable control arms was a good bit of it.

I like the way it turned out. Probably keep it this way for awhile. Drives nice and looks considerably better than it did before.

If I was going to do 33's, I would do the OME 2.5 light duty springs, Bilsteins 5100's, JKS 1.25" BL, MORE rubber MML along with lots of research on bumpstops. Find me some 16" Moab's and Spidertrax wheel spacers and surround all that on 285/75/16 Duratracs. That will get you started. It will look awesome in the garage.
 
#19 ·
I've got 33's on a 2005 TJ. The 6spd transmission copes with them much better than the 5spd. It is far from perfect but it's OK. You'll lose 6th gear. It's my next mod, but I've lived with it for a year.

I'm running an OME lift, 2" Bumpstop extensions front and rear, and 15x8 ProComp wheels. Nothing rubs.
 
#20 ·
The taller the tire, the less power you will have, so your Jeep will be slower in the higher gears.. Hence, no one will argue against re-gearing, but it is expensive and many just live with the power loss. I have a 3.73 rear end and I don’t see that much of a difference except my overdrive is almost useless on the highway. Around town, it’s not that noticeable.
Asking “what you will need to run 33s” will get you answers all over the place. As you can see, you can spend far more than the cost of the Jeep itself… You can spend $6K or more on just one axle, to “run” 33s.
If you’re driving mostly street, and you’re on a budget, you don't need to spend huge money on suspension and axles. 3" of lift will be fine for 33s, you can get that cheaply with a 2” budget boost and 1” suspension lift for a couple hundred dollars, and a set of tires and wheels for $1,500 or so. So for around $2K, you’ll be good to go. You could go for 32s and just the 2” budget boost as well. This looks very good, not that much different than 33s.
This was my LJ with 2” lift and 32s:

Today with 3.5” lift and 33s:
 
#21 ·
Hey guys, I'm in the middle of doing the Zone 4.25 lift, actually going to try and finish it up tonight. I was able to get the entire kit (3" SL, 1.25" BL, MML, Sway Quick Discos) and 4 33x10.5x15 BFG Ats for less than $1200...

I'm doing most of the work myself besides the tire installation, so you really don't have to spend $3000+ for this setup.

Also, I'm seeing people tell him he needs new rims for the 33s if he has stock rims...I have the stock rims also but have been told that the 33x10.50x15 fits the stock rims..is this not the case?
 
#25 ·
I have buddies running 33's with stock gearing and hell I have been running 35's on 3.73 gears for a while now. I just recently bought my 4.88s a few days ago, still not installed yet. If you have the 4.0L engine, you can run 33's half easy with 3.73 gears and lower ( 4.10, 4.56). If you have 3.07 , you can still run it but you'll be pushing the engine harder. My first Jeep was a 4 cylinder on 33's. It was okay for getting around town, highways sucked, I had to keep the pedal to the medal to get to 5th gear. You don't need 4.88s to run 33's unless you have a 4 cylinder. If I were you, I would install them and drive it yourself. Get the feel for it, or even borrow a set off a friend and just drive your jeep around for the day and see what you think, I didn't mind being undergeared. Just bought 4.88s because I got a good deal on it and why not!
 
#27 ·
I just did this exact upgrade this weekend!

First of all I love them! I got 33x12.5x15 Mastercraft MXT and put them on steel pro comp wheels (with 3.75 backspacing). The only thing I did to prepare for them was install a 2 inch spacer lift. I have the stock gearing...I think 3.07 and while it does struggle a little it is not much more than I had with the 31s. For me this is not a problem at all...I just have to stay in 4th for a little longer. I think I will up the gearing in the future though but not urgent at all.

I have only had them for a few days but I don't think I could go back to the 31s ever. I love them so much. They plow through the snow and look really good (I think the perfect size for TJs). They are relatively quiet and the jeep does not handle differently at all, and there is not rubbing while turning.

Here is a picture of the two different tires while I was mounting them, you can really see the difference!

Land vehicle Tire Automotive tire Car Vehicle
 
#29 ·
guys...need help.
running 31s with steelies and 4inch lift....on manual 04 TJ. I like how it drives...power is fine...gas mileage is unknown since i just got it.
question....
since alloys weight about 7lbs lighter each wheel. If i jump to 33s and no re gear....will it feel the same as my 31s with steel wheels?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top